The GIZ-ILO Conference on fair recruitment and mitigating precarious working conditions for migrant workers, held on November 26-27, 2024, in Prishtina, brought together a wide range of stakeholders from governments, civil society, employers’ and workers’ organizations, private recruitment agencies, and international organizations. The event provided a platform to address the key challenges in labour migration and recruitment both to and from the Western Balkans, while fostering collaboration to improve conditions for migrant workers.

The Western Balkans region faces a unique labour migration dynamic, characterized by a significant outflow of nationals to Western Europe and a simultaneous influx of migrant workers from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Turkey,. The conference noted complexities of these labour migration flows, highlighting significant challenges such as inadequate regulation and monitoring of private recruitment agencies, insufficient protections for migrant workers, and gaps in data sharing between stakeholders. The discussions underscored the need to strengthen implementation of legal frameworks, enhance labour inspection capacities, and remove barriers to information access and complaint mechanisms.

Despite these challenges, the conference identified notable opportunities to improve fair recruitment practices. Several countries have already adopted policies aligned with international standards, including the prohibition of recruitment fees for workers and the licensing of private recruitment agencies. Furthermore, civil society organizations and trade unions are increasingly active in supporting migrant workers, indicating the potential for greater cross-sector collaboration.

Key recommendations from the conference included improving oversight of recruitment agencies, strengthening coordination between national agencies involved in labour migration, and developing bilateral labour agreements to address skills mismatches and ensure fair recruitment pathways. Awareness raising campaigns to inform migrant workers of their rights and available services were also highlighted as crucial to fostering trust and empowerment.

This event marked an important step toward creating more transparent, fair, and sustainable recruitment systems for migrants and nationals. The ILO remains committed to supporting collaborative efforts that ensure decent work and improved working conditions for all workers worldwide.